What to do with Dried Black Beans: 30 Recipes

Black beans are not only delicious when cooked in a fabulous recipe… they also have a variety of health benefits to those that consume them. A one-cup serving of black beans contains around 15g of fiber and 15g of protein. That is an outstanding amount considering it is the equivalent of 2 ounces of chicken or fish.

The black bean has been shown to be beneficial to the digestive tract, the blood sugar regulatory system, and the cardiovascular system. Black beans have been connected with a reduction of certain cancers, especially colon, breast, and liver cancers.

The fact that black beans are both delicious and nutritious is what pushed me to dive a bit deeper into the the kitchen with dried black beans. We all have at least a bag or two in the pantry… go ahead, check. I bet you have at least one.

Dried beans are not like canned beans. Canned beans are ready to go as soon as you pop the can. Not dried beans. Dried beans require a little more time and attention, but is well worth the extra effort come meal time.

Sorting Black Beans

Before dried black bean can be used for human consumption, it is important to sort through the beans to eliminate any possible stones or dirt particles. I also like to remove any broken or badly damaged beans. It is best to spread the beans out on a light surface and cautiously pick through they beans until you are done.

2 Bean Soaking Methods

There are actually 2 methods of soaking black beans that works. The first is the overnight method, and the second is the quick soak. The overnight method requires that you rinse the sorted beans and they add them to a large bowl of water overnight.

The quick soak method required the sorted beans to be rinsed and then combined in a pot with 6-8 cups of hot water. Once the beans boil for 2 minutes. The beans come off the heat for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the beans are drained, rinsed, and combined with another 6 cups of hot water and then simmered for 2 hours.

Regardless of which soaking method you use… the beans are ready to be used in recipes after they have been soaked.

Black beans are extremely versatile and can be used to make soups, chilies, dips, salads, burritos, tacos, side dishes, and desserts!

Be aware

If you are using a recipe for the first time, be sure to check the recipe in advance to ensure that your beans need to be pre-soaked. Some recipes, especially those for slow cookers and crock pots may required you to begin the recipe using the beans from a dry state.

30 Black Bean Recipes

If a recipe calls for canned beans… simply substitute the same amount of your prepared dried beans.